New Place, New Trouble
by Agent R
Summary: Just in time for Valentine's Day...While planning their wedding, Duncan and Amanda are in Florida, Duncan is the professor at a local college, and Richie and Amber are 2 new students, and love is in the air. Please read and review
1. Default Chapter

New Place, New Trouble  
  
"Duncan, I think we should just get married in Florida, and stay here a while, I'm tired of hopping from one airplane to another every 3 days," Amanda said, "I'm just sick of it."  
  
"I agree, although not for the same reasons I don't think, allright, we'll stay," Duncan put down his suitcase, "Now to give that Justice of the Peace a call and see if he's still in town."  
  
"Allright Amanda, here's the rest of your bags, where do we put them?" Richie asked, bringing in 4 suitcases.  
  
"Just drop them, Richie," Amanda said.  
  
"Okay." Richie dropped the bags allright, right onto Duncan's foot.  
  
Duncan screamed and dropped the phone and started hopping around on his other foot, at that time Amber came in with more luggage.  
  
"Hey Mac, I didn't know you were a dancer, do you know the lambada?" she asked.  
  
"Richie, come here!" Duncan said.  
  
"Sorry Mac, but I promised Methos I'd help him with his root canal, bye!" Richie tore out of the room.  
  
Duncan bent down, picked up the phone and dropped it on the bed, "Amanda, will you keep Amber in here while I go talk to Richie?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Richie, come back here!" Duncan said.  
  
"Mac, I was just doing what Amanda told me to do, how'd I know your foot was going to get in the way?" Duncan asked.  
  
"It's not that, I want to you to get Amber out of the house for the day, Amanda and I are going to be discussing some things and quite frankly we don't want you two here eavesdropping," Duncan said.  
  
"No problem, I'll get her out of here, you wouldn't believe how fast she-"  
  
"Hey Mac!" Amber came into the hallway, "I didn't know you were going to be teaching at the local college."  
  
"See what I mean?" Richie asked, "Come on Amber, we've got-"  
  
"Hold on Richie, that's one thing I want to talk to you about," Duncan said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"You're gonna WHAT?!" Richie asked.  
  
"I'm teaching 2 classes at the college and I think it would be a good idea if you and Amber would apply there," Duncan said.  
  
"Mac, nothing personal, but studying 18 hours a day doesn't appeal to me at all," Richie said.  
  
"Well calm down, it's not that serious, in any case it'd just be your first semester, you wouldn't have to take a lot of course," Duncan told him.  
  
"Are you going to be teaching in our classes?" Amber asked.  
  
"Exactly, are you going to be teaching in- OUR classes? You're going too?"   
  
"Of course, I already graduated high school, so I might as well find out what the big deal is about college," Amber said.  
  
"I don't think you'll have to worry about me, I'll be teaching Medieval Weaponry and World History," Duncan said.  
  
"The history sounds interesting to me," Amber said.  
  
"It's a graduate course," Duncan said.  
  
"So? You know how it goes, the juniors and seniors get the best classes, and the freshman get whatever's left over," Amber told him.  
  
"Oh great," Richie sighed, "knowing my luck, I'll probably be up to my armpits in Algebra."  
  
"Well I'm still up for it, how about you?" Amber asked.  
  
"Okay I guess...what college is it you're teaching at?" Richie asked.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"University of Tampa, I wonder if it'll be like a preppy school," Amber said.  
  
"I don't know, I just hope they don't have a dress code," Richie replied.  
  
"Me too, there's no way I'm going in there with a librarian's blouse and knee-high socks and a gray miniskirt, that's sick," Amber said.  
  
"You think that's sick, if this is a prep school, you know what they'll do? There'll be tons of people there with turned up collars, and sweaters tied across their necks," Ricihe said.  
  
"If they do have a dress code like that, I say we protest, burn the school uniforms," Amber said.  
  
"Boy where were you when they had all those protests in the 60s?" Richie laughed.  
  
"You wanna go to the Black & White Theater? They're showing some films on the East Side Kids today, you could learn a thing or two on how to drive Mac crazy without him calling the cops," Amber said.  
  
"Why not? If we're going to a prison next week, we might as well enjoy our spare time now," Richie figured.  
  
"So, why did Mac want us out of the house?" Amber asked.  
  
"I don't know, really, he didn't say," Richie said.  
  
"Maybe we should go back and find out," Amber suggested.  
  
"Are you kidding? Go back to the house while we've got a chance to get some air while we're not drowning, freezing, or waiting for something?"  
  
"Good point, besides, when they're married, we'll have plenty of time to spy on them...eeewwww."  
  
"What?" Richie asked.  
  
"It just occurred to me, when Mac and Amanda get married...Neither one of them will be able to wear white."  
  
"That depends," Richie said.  
  
"On what?"  
  
"How you look at it, now come on!"  
  
Come half an hour later, Richie and Amber were being thrown out of the theater by the ushers, literally thrown out into the street and nearly got run over by a semi.  
  
"Okay, now what?" Amber asked.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Allright Mac, I give up, I took her everywhere, I took her to the theater, the dog tracks, the race tracks, the pool hall, the bowling alley, the ball park-"  
  
"Yeah, now I'm beat, I'm going up to my room and resting for 15 minutes, then I'm getting out of here to go down to the beach before the streakers come in," Amber said, "wait a minute, where's my room anyway?"  
  
"Upstairs, across the hall, 3rd door on the right," Methos said.  
  
"How do you know that?" Richie asked.  
  
"Easy, go upstairs, and take a look," Methos told him.  
  
Richie followed Amber up to her room, and they were both in shock, their bedrooms had been conjoined into one.  
  
"Allright, now this is what I call paradise," Amber said, "now, you won't have to worry about me coming into your room at an inappropiate time, if we can't sleep, we can stay up all night yakking our heads off...it'll be great!"  
  
"Yeah, now we also don't have to worry about someone finding us in bed together...what am I saying?" Richie asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I think I'm going to go take a bath, I'm still covered with that gunk from the theater's floor," Amber said.  
  
"Okay....hmmmmmmmmmmmmm."  
  
"What?"   
  
"I wonder if the bathroom's been conjoined too?"  
  
"Nope, just a shower, a bath, a sink, a john," Amber looked inside.  
  
"Sounds okay to me," Richie said.  
  
Richie took a look around at their room and laughed.  
  
"What is it?" Amber asked.  
  
"This is ridiculous, it looks like our room was done half and half, the walls on my side are painted blue, your walls are white," Richie said.  
  
"What do you want? They know you as much as they need to, they didn't want to gamble with my side because they've only known me a couple of months," Amber replied.  
  
"I don't suppose the bathroom is the same way, is it?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, just all white," Amber replied, "the walls, the sink, the tub, the towels...looks like a baseball player's outfit in here."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"I still can't believe you're going to be teaching down at the college, it sounds crazy," Amanda said.  
  
"Well what's crazy to you is reasonable to me," Duncan said, "besides, with Amber and Richie going, I'll have a better chance of keeping an eye on them in between classes."  
  
"You know, I like Richie," Amanda said.  
  
"I know."  
  
"I also like Amber."  
  
"You'd just about have to, she's the only other woman in the house."  
  
"You have no idea what I'm getting at, do you?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Not the slightest, but you do have a 600 year advantage to everything, care to bring me up to speed?" Duncan asked.  
  
"When we get married, I want Richie and Amber to live with us," Amanda said.  
  
"They do that already," Duncan laughed.  
  
"I mean permanently, Amber's been coming and going and Richie's been through his own things on his own...When we get married, I want them both to stay with us permanently," Amanda said.  
  
"I think that'll be a safe bet, I don't know about Amber, but that'll be the best offer Richie's had in a while," Duncan said.  
  
"Just think, in 3 weeks, we'll be married," Amanda said.  
  
"Yes, and I think we might need Methos to be the minister after all."  
  
"What about the minister here?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Father O'Brien? I called him earlier today, he'll be busy that day," Duncan said.  
  
"With another wedding?" Amanda asked.  
  
"5 funerals," Duncan said.  
  
"5?"  
  
"A family, their bodies were missing for a few months, they finally found them, but there's been a lot of damage so it'll be hard to distinguish the cause of the deaths," Duncan said.  
  
"Well, I suppose Methos won't be a bad minister, we could have gotten worse," Amanda said, "bye the way, where's Joe? I haven't seen him for a while."  
  
"In his room, resting...jet lag," Duncan said.  
  
"What about his business? His bar back in Washington?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Burnt down," Duncan said, "two morons got into a fight, before he could break it up, one of them picked up a case of beer, tried throwing it at the other guy, and instead hit a light...Of course, even being a bar, the story's so ridiculous, the insurance company refuses to cover it."  
  
"Why didn't he just tell them it burnt down due to arson?" Amanda asked.  
  
"He tried, they wanted to know what caused it," Duncan replied.  
  
"People just can't get away with anything these days, can they?" Amanda asked.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Amber woke up with everything in her sight blurry, when her vision cleared up, she saw Richie looking down at her.  
  
"W---W--What is it?" she asked.  
  
Just then, Amber realized her last memory was being in the tub, she got up and saw she was on Richie's bed, covered by 2 towels, and underneath she was completely naked!  
  
"Richie, what happened?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know, I heard this thump, and you were sinking below the surface in the tub," Richie said.  
  
"Oh well then I," Amber lifted the bottom towel and saw a thin coating of blood on it, "Whoa!"  
  
"When I pulled you out of the tub, I saw a razor at the bottom, I'm guessing you got cut, but at the time, it was hard to tell," Richie said.  
  
"Yeah that looks about right," Amber lifted the towel again, "figures, one minute I'm shaving my mon, the next minute I'm out like a busted bulb, sinking under 2 & 1/2 feet of water," Amber said, "thanks for yanking me out."  
  
"Don't worry, I didn't take much time to notice much of anything," Richie told her.  
  
"Richie, that's irrelevant to me," Amber said, "but I guess I owe you that much...Most guys would jump on the though of having a woman, unconscious, naked, and in a bedroom."  
  
"Well I guess that's what makes me different from society," Richie laughed, "I hope you're not offended."  
  
"Are you kidding? Last time you saw me naked I was recovering from...what is it you called it? Bi---Bi..."  
  
"Bylenia," Richie replied.  
  
"Oh yeah, what a time that was, you two must've gotten easily fed up with me," Amber said.  
  
"2 days of being worried sick you were going to die," Richie remembered.  
  
"Only to find out I was Immortal, and that feeling you guys got when I entered the room wasn't indigestion after all...How'd you two put up with me for so long?" Amber asked.  
  
"You ain't been part of a family for a long time, 'basically what they do, they look out for each other," Richie said.  
  
"Well, I'm going to go back into the bathroom and get dressed," Amber got up.  
  
"Wonderful."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
The rest of the week went by smoothly, then came Monday, and Richie and Amber were heading over to the University of Tampa.  
  
"Hey Rich...look at all these people, surely they can't all be attending this place," Amber said.  
  
"It certainly looks that way," Richie said.  
  
"But some of these people look like they're in their 40s," Amber said.  
  
"I know, they didn't have time to attend college when they were younger, so they're coming here now," Richie said.  
  
"But look at this crowd, where do you think Mac is in it?" Amber asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I think we'll find out soon enough," Richie said.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Amber asked.  
  
"Hey you two!"  
  
"Does that give you a clue?" Richie asked, "Hey Mac! Over here!"  
  
"What's going on?" Duncan asked as he approached them.  
  
"What's with all these people? Surely they can't all be students here," Amber said.  
  
"They are...you'll have to remember college is different from high school," Duncan said.  
  
"Not by much, they still have a principal around," Amber told him.  
  
"A prin----oh, you mean the Dean," Duncan realized.  
  
"Eh, everybody's got a name for them," Amber said.  
  
"Mac, this is crazy, I'm not sure I'll be able to find my classes," Richie said.  
  
"I figured you'd say that," Duncan replied, "Look, I spoke with your instructors, they'll be waiting for you, your first class is around the hall, second door the right, you'll know when you get there."  
  
"What class are we taking first?" Amber asked.  
  
"First class is English I, it'll be pretty much the same for you except in the last class, Richie will be taking Psychology, you'll be taking Contemporary Police Issues," Duncan said.  
  
"Wait a minute, Richie and me aren't in the same classes?" Amber asked.  
  
"Well for the majority of it you are, it's just the last class that's different," Duncan said.  
  
"And I'm in WHAT?" Amber asked.  
  
"Contemporary Police Issues, now you two better get going," Duncan said.  
  
"Sure, come on Amber," Richie said.  
  
Duncan stood in the doorway to the first class he was teaching and laughed, "Richie Ryan, in college, imagine that..."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Richie and Amber made a turn at the hall and were looking for their first room, a few of the classes had the instructors waiting in the doorways for the students to come in, one of them obviously noticed Richie and Amber.  
  
"You two, come here!" he said.  
  
"Who?" Richie asked.  
  
"You, get over here!" he said.  
  
"You think that's the professor?" Richie asked.  
  
"Well, he's either the professor or an on-campus pervert, let's go," Amber said.  
  
"Uh...yes sir?" Richie asked.  
  
"You must be Ryan and Jenzon, I'm your instructor, Malcom Bridges, your father told me about you two," he said.  
  
Richie and Amber exchanged confused looks, sure Duncan would say they're part of the family so no one would get suspicious, but their father? Surely Duncan didn't say that, surely Mr. Bridges just assumed that he was. Amber and Richie went in, along with 28 other students, and took their seats. Mr. Bridges closed the doors and went over to the blackboard and started talking. Richie started to listen to what he said, then he started to doze off, only to be woken up by someone throwing a rough-sided paper wad at him. Amber couldn't pay attention either, some boy behind her kept feeling along the back of her shirt, reaching in and snapping her bra! She turned around to see who did it, shook it off and went back to her studies. But it didn't last for long, the boy did it again, no doubt this boy was an athlete, and no doubt if this became public to the rest of the room, he'd be the one with the credability. So Amber got an idea, the shirt she was wearing was sleeveless, so it'd work in her favor, after he did it again, she reached in her shirt, undid her bra, took it out and gave it to the boy. He looked deranged with crossed eyes and an open mouth, he wouldn't be saying much of anything for the rest of the day.  
  
"Miss Jenzon," Mr. Bridges called.  
  
Amber just continued looking around the room, noticing the 30+ students.  
  
"Miss Jenzon," Mr. Bridges repeated a bit louder.  
  
Amber pulled a notebook out of her trenchcoat, opened it to a certain page and started drawing in it.  
  
"MISS JENZON!" Mr. Bridges walked up to her.  
  
"Yes?" Amber looked up.  
  
"When I call your name, you're supposed to respond "Yes sir"," Mr. Bridges said.  
  
"What if I have a lady teacher?" Amber asked.  
  
"Then you say "Yes ma'am"," Mr. Bridges said.  
  
"Ma'am? Sir? This might be Southern Florida, but I don't talk like a Southern, I came to Tampa to wear out my frost bite, not to become part of the Daughters of Confederacy," Amber said.  
  
"Well why didn't you respond the first time I called?" Mr. Bridges asked.  
  
"I don't know anyone here, I figured you might have been paging another 'Miss Jenzon', if you want me, call my name," Amber went back to drawing.  
  
"I did call your name," Mr. Bridges said.  
  
"My full name, Amber Jenzon," Amber said.  
  
"Miss Jenzon, around here, that's exactly how we call you, Miss Jenzon, unless you get married," Mr. Bridges told her.  
  
"Well let me tell you something, I am NOT married, I have NEVER been married, and I may never GET married," Amber said, "so if you want me to talk to you, you call my name, not Miss, not Mrs. not even Madam, you call Amber Jenzon," Amber poked Mr. Bridges in the stomach, "you got that?"  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"I don't believe you," Richie said.  
  
"Well I figured since we're going to be in class together, we may as well take turns causing mayhem, today English I was mine, next up's English II, you can do whatever you wish in here," Amber said.  
  
"Maybe you should've been in Biology when you took your bra off, I can't believe no one else saw you," Richie told her.  
  
"Yeah, well I didn't get into trouble, and that pint size Adam Vinateiri will keep his mouth shut for the rest of the day, cuz if he don't, I'm going to squeeze-"  
  
"I get the picture, any idea who he is?" Richie asked.  
  
"The guy who snapped my bra? I'm not sure but I think they said his name is Rick Mahoney," Amber said.  
  
"Boy I'd hate to be in his shoes," Richie laughed.  
  
"His shoes you'd have nothing to worry about, but believe me, you don't want to be in his boxers," Amber said.  
  
"Shhhhhhhhhhhh! Take a seat before we get in more trouble," Richie said.  
  
A few minutes after everyone was seated, in came the professor, Richard Brichs.  
  
"What kind of name is Bricks?" Amber whispered to Richie.  
  
"Brichs," he corrected her.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It's spelled differently," Richie told her.  
  
"Well that makes sense," Amber said.  
  
"Shhhhhhhhhh! I don't want you to make another noise until class is over," Richie said.  
  
"Amber turned around and burped, Richie let that one slide because there was nothing he could do about it. But now he decided to be the one making the class bust a gut.  
  
"Now class," Mr. Brichs started, "today we're going to..."  
  
"I have a question!" Richie said.  
  
"Yes Mr.....Ryan?" MR. Brichs replied.  
  
"What happens when we have a question?" Richie asked.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Brichs asked.  
  
"If we have to get your attention, what happens if we have a question?" Richie asked.  
  
"Raise your hand," Mr. Brichs told him.  
  
"Left or right?" Richie asked.  
  
"Right," Mr. Brichs said.  
  
"Your right?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, YOUR right!" Mr. Brichs said.  
  
"I'm right? Right about what?" Richie resisted laughing.  
  
"Your right about being right!" Mr. Brichs said.  
  
"And I thought high school was hard, this stuff's just plain annoying," Richie said.  
  
"Now class, today-"  
  
"Question!" Richie raised his right hand.  
  
"Yes?" Mr. Brichs asked.  
  
"What happens if when we have a question, our hands are full? Do we raise our right foot?" Richie asked.  
  
"You do and you can take it up with the dean!"   
  
"Dean? Okay, which one's he?" Richie looked around.  
  
Everyone in the room started laughing, well, everyone except Mr. Brichs, he ignored Richie's last comment and went back to the blackboard. Richie took out a pencil and started sketching a bar fight scene in his notebook, then he got an idea, he reached under his desk, felt along his boot and took it off. Then he went back to sketching, after a while, the stem on his pencil broke off, so he raised his foot. It wasn't until about 15 seconds later that the professor noticed it.  
  
"Mr. Ryan, what are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"My pencil broke, can I sharpen it?" Richie asked.  
  
"Surely Mr. Ryan you have other pencils with you..."  
  
"I do," Richie took out a whole case of busted pencils, "they all broke, can I sharpen them?"  
  
"Put your foot down and go ahead," Mr. Brichs said.  
  
Richie was trying hard not to laugh, but he decided to cause trouble once more for this class.  
  
"Mr. Brichs!" he called.  
  
"What is it now, Mr. Ryan?" Mr. Brichs asked.  
  
Richie put down the pencils and extended his middle fingers, "What do you think?"  
  
End of chapter 1 


	2. No Class

No Class  
  
"Mister..."  
  
"Ryan, I'm Richie Ryan and I'd like to know why I'm here, I didn't do anything, all I did was ask a question," Richie said.  
  
"With your foot?" the dean laughed.  
  
"My hands were full of busted pencils, I just wanted to sharpen them but he sent me over here," Richie said.  
  
"Mister Ryan, do you think it's possible that maybe somewhere in it, you did something else?" Dean Sinclair asked.  
  
"I don't think so," Richie said, "you know what I know in this case."  
  
"Well you better return to your class before it's over," the Dean said.  
  
"Yes sir," Richie stood up.  
  
Richie headed back to English II just in time for it to be over, then he and Amber headed over to Biology.  
  
"What'd I miss?" Richie asked.  
  
"Nothing much, Mr. Brichs found a pushup bra in his desk drawer, that blonde who threw the paper wad at you got stomach cramps, and there was this one guy near the back who got busted for carrying a joint, so he's down at the police station," Amber told him.  
  
"Man, and I missed all this cuz I flipped the professor off?" Richie asked.  
  
"Both hands, Richie, you don't give someone a double one finger salute without paying for it," Amber said.  
  
"Maybe I'll have better luck in Biology," Richie thought.  
  
However, he soon found out that he was wrong. As part of the Biology class, they were showing a film on arteries clogging and how it links to heart disease, Richie grew sick, and headed over to the bathroom to throw up. Of course, he wasn't alone in that, Amber followed him in.  
  
"Not exactly something you wanna see while eating, huh?" she laughed.  
  
"I thought those documentaries were left in high school," Richie gapsed before vomiting into the sink again.  
  
"Apparently not, and I'll bet you're really going to hate the next room we go to," Amber said.  
  
"Why? Are they going to have a pregnant woman go into labor in there?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, it's the cafeteria," Amber said.  
  
Richie groaned as he threw up again, Amber patted him on the back, "breathe slowly, maybe it'll pass, want some advice?"  
  
"What?" Richie inhaled.  
  
"Don't look when you throw up, it just makes you sicker," Amber said, "when I get sick, I close my eyes tighter than a set of handcuffs."  
  
After Richie's stomach calmed down, it hit him that Amber wasn't in a seemingly appropiate setting.  
  
"Amber, what're you doing in here?" Richie asked.  
  
"You were sick, I wanted to make sure you were allright...besides, it's a co-ed bathroom, but it just looks like it's missing a wall...mens on the left, womens on the right...why don't they take a brick wall, and just shove it down the middle?" Amber asked, "So, you going to stay here?"  
  
"I think so, I feel dizzy," Richie said.  
  
"You're in luck, women's bathrooms have a sofa in it," Amber said.  
  
"Why's that?" Richie asked.  
  
"Some of the women who attend school are pregnant, after tossing their cookies, they probably want a few minutes to rest before heading back to class," Amber replied.  
  
Richie's eyes rolled like mad in his head, right before he threw up again.  
  
"It's just a phrase Richie," she told him.  
  
"Tell that to my stomach," Richie said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Mister MacLeod, are you allright?" Dean Sinclar asked.  
  
"I'm fine, why?" Duncan asked as he flipped through the pages of a teacher's book.  
  
"Your mind seemed to be absent during class," he replied.  
  
"Dean Sinclair, my mind is always absent, doesn't mean I can't teach," Duncan said.  
  
"Mister MacLeod, it's not a matter of whether or not you can teach, just a matter of whether or not your mind is in the right place...Are you allright?" Dean Sinclair asked.  
  
"I'm just worried about someone," Duncan said, "I guess I'm worried about everything today."  
  
"Tell me, do you happen to know someone named Richie Ryan?" Dean Sinclair asked.  
  
"Of course...he's a...part of the family, why?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Well the Professor Brichs sent him up to my office for some reason, but the boy insisted he was just asking a question," he replied.  
  
"Oh...Richie...He's not exactly what I'd call normal, but...he's never been to college before, it could be that he did just ask a question, and the professor took it the wrong way," Duncan said.  
  
"Well, you better make sure that's all it was," Dean Sinclair said, "we've had some...abnormal students here before...first few days they were acting a little strange, before you knew it, we had 12 students dead because they came to class the next day with a bomb."  
  
"Now hold on there, Richie may be a bit of a loudmouth, and he may not be as fast as the rest of the class, and sure he may have noticable trouble keeping his mind at peace...but he is not a murderer!" Duncan said.  
  
"They weren't called murderers either, Mister MacLeod, they were called 'special', and see what happens?" Dean Sinclair asked.  
  
"Listen," Duncan said, "Richie isn't normal, but he's not one of those psychotic cases, I've known him for almost 7 years, that's longer than anybody knew him, and he might not be one of the top students around here, but for his first day, I think he's doing rather well considering the police and paramedics haven't had to be called up here. And let me make one more thing clear, Richie is part of my family, you mess with him, you've got me on your back."  
  
"That boy has no class, he's disrupting the rest of the student body," Dean Sinclair said.  
  
"Well unless he was exposing his own student BODY, I don't think there's a problem," Duncan said.  
  
"I'm just telling you what I know, but if I were you, I'd talk with the boy," Dean Sinclair told him.  
  
"I will!" Duncan said, "And I'm going to get to the bottom of this whole mess!"  
  
Duncan headed out of the classroom and headed down the hall when he saw Amber nearby.  
  
"Amber, where's Richie?" Duncan asked.  
  
"In the bathroom, throwing up, Biology was a real shocker for him and his stomach couldn't take it...He insisted I stay out here until the worst is over," Amber explained, "Mac, I've been hearing some things people have been saying about that Contemporary Police course."  
  
"And?"  
  
"That course ends 40 minutes before Richie's other class is over...What am I supposed to do while I wait on him?" Amber asked.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
After 15 minutes of waiting, Richie figured his stomach was as settled as it'd be, so he went to find Amber and they headed to their next class, American Government.   
  
"Richie, are you okay? You're looking pale," Amber noticed.  
  
"Fine, just don't mention food around me for the rest of the day," Richie said.  
  
"No problem," Amber replied.  
  
Richie and Amber took their seats, waited for the professor to come in, and by the end of class, they had studied so much about politics and such, they both had splitting headaches.  
  
"I don't believe it," Richie said, "when people talk politics, you think Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Gore even...how did the Osbournes get into that book?"  
  
"I don't know, but I wish we were back in class, now I have to go study for the 16th Preceint, and you're going to be learning how to get paid to tell people they have problems...well, see ya in a while," Amber said.  
  
Richie went into his class and saw several people talking with each other about what they were already reading, Richie went up to his seat and opened his book. This was going to be a rather boring class, at least he thought so, until he realized everyone in the room was staring at him, including the professor.  
  
As for Amber, she finally found the room for the Contemporary Police Issues class, she went in and saw several men in blue suits with badges seated at the desks.  
  
"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong room, I'm looking for the Contemporary Police Issues course?" Amber said to the professor.  
  
"That's this room, you are?" the professor asked.  
  
"Amber Jenzon, I was assigned to this class," she said.  
  
"By whom?" the professor asked.  
  
"I don't know, I was told someone already had me put in this class, before I came," Amber said.  
  
Everyone laughed, Amber wasn't getting the joke, but she had a feeling she was part of it.  
  
"Is something wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he repeated, "Little girl, do you have any idea where you are?"  
  
"Yeah, in a college that has about as much personality as a pit bull," Amber said.  
  
"This is a graduate course, what are you?" he asked.  
  
"Freshman," Amber replied.  
  
Everyone busted a gut when they heard that.  
  
"Little girl, this is no place for you, this is a police course."  
  
"I know that...What I don't know is what's so funny," Amber said.  
  
"Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked.  
  
"Not a clue, and could really care less about it," Amber said.  
  
"I'm the chief of the Tampa, Florida police," he told her.  
  
"Oh well excuse me, I didn't realize that the jackass of the town was the professor, otherwise I'd ask to transfer," Amber told him.  
  
"What did you call me?" he asked.  
  
"I called you a jackass, but I do believe it would suit you better if I didn't use 'jack'," Amber replied.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Richie's Psyche class finally finished for the day, meaning he was done for the day, and a good thing too, because his brain felt about fried, so he headed over to the Contemporary Police Issues classroom to pick up Amber, but he was surprised when he found out she wasn't there. The class had already let out, so he figured she was probably downstairs waiting for him, but when he got down there, she was nowhere to be found. Then Richie remembered that Duncan was still teaching his World History class, maybe when it let out, he could help look for her. This was ridiculous, his first day at college and he already lost his roommate.  
  
Richie headed over to the World History classroom and felt the presence of two Immortals, he quietly snuck in and was in shock to find Amber at one of the spare desks up front. He was also surprised at what a good job Duncan was doing teaching. However, it seemed Duncan's mind went south for the winter when he saw Richie in the room, a few minutes later, class let out.  
  
"Mac, did you know Amber was here?" Richie asked.  
  
"Of course, she said that her class let out 40 minutes before yours did, so after she finished there, she came over here," Duncan said.  
  
"And apparently I'll need to transfer out of that class, everyone else in it is a police officer, all male, and the professor is the chief of the Tampa police," AMber said.  
  
"What'd they say during class?" Richie asked.  
  
"They had me sit in the back of the room so I couldn't see the blackboard, and I was insulted by several of the officers," Amber said.  
  
"What'd they say?" Richie asked.  
  
"Everything imaginable," Amber replied, "Duncan, could you talk to the dean and have me moved to another class? It's a graduate course, everyone else are police officers...Mac, they'll never let me rest and I'm not ready to do time for murder..."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"You did what?" Methos asked.  
  
"Flipped the guy off, for that he sent me to the Dean," Richie said.  
  
"That's too mediocre, if you want to really get them going, you need to try something new...try...giving them the middle toe," Methos said.  
  
"The what?" Richie asked.  
  
"Middle toe, people are always giving everyone the middle finger, you try the middle toe, watch," Methos took off his boot, and curled his other four toes down so the middle one stood up.  
  
"That's ridiculous, no one would see that as an insult," Richie said as Methos put his boot back on.  
  
"No? We'll just see about that," Methos picked up the videophone and dialed a number.  
  
"What're you doing?" Richie asked.  
  
"Don't worry your pretty little head, just sit back, and relax," Methos said.  
  
The phone downstairs rang, and Duncan answered it.  
  
"Methos! What're you doing calling me?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Just trying to prove a point to the boy," Methos said.  
  
"Forget it, the last time you did that, you wound up unconscious and drunk, and Richie wound up with a black eye and two busted teeth," Duncan told him.  
  
"Are you insinuating that I'm a poor choice of a role model for him?" Methos grinned.  
  
"I'm insinuating that if he winds up in a bar with 20 bottles of voda busted over his head, I'm going to be insinuating my foot up your ass!" Duncan said.  
  
"Oh really?" Methos asked.  
  
Methos took off his boot and curled the other four toes, leaving the middle one to stand up again.  
  
"Hey Duncan...Whatta ya think of that?" Methos asked.  
  
"What the hell is that!?" Duncan asked, insulted and confused.  
  
"What do you think? My hands are tied, so I'm compromising," Methos answered.  
  
"You're SICK Methos, you know that? Now get off the phone! And Richie, get down here!" Duncan said.  
  
"Yes sir!" Richie saluted right before he ran out of the room and slipped down the banister and right behind Duncan, "You called?"  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Mac..." Richie squeaked, "What do you call this?"  
  
Duncan had Richie try on a suit to see if it'd work for the wedding since he was the best man, and right now, he found it difficult to talk because the bow-tie was squeezing his Adam's apple.  
  
"A suit," Duncan replied.  
  
"I know that, what do you call it?" Richie squeaked.  
  
"Formal," Duncan answered.  
  
"Oh yeah?" the bow-tie flew off, "Well where I come from, we call them monkey suits."  
  
"Richie, I think it's appropiate," Duncan said.  
  
"I think it's obnoxious, where'd you get this suit anyway? A funeral parlor?" Richie asked.  
  
"No," Duncan replied as he walked away.  
  
Methos came down the stairs and noticed Richie.  
  
"I see you're wearing Huntz's suit," he said.  
  
"Who's Huntz?" Richie undid the cuffs on the sleeves.  
  
"Huntz Maloney, mastermind criminal of the Bowery," Methos said.  
  
"Knew him well, did ya?" Richie asked, undoing the collar.  
  
"From 1918 - 1932, a real genius, that's the suit he wore at his funeral," Methos said.  
  
"Oh well I-- WHAT!?" Richie asked, "I bet I know what killed him, his collar probably choked him to death!"  
  
"Quite the contrare, he had a very scrawny neck," Methos replied.  
  
"Well, if I have to wear a monkey suit at the wedding, it's not going to be one that a guy was buried in," Richie said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Amanda, you and Mac are made for each other, I don't see any way you can't go through with the wedding," Amber told her as they entered a bridal dress shop.  
  
"I certainly hope it'll turn out allright, you know, Duncan is the best man I've known in years...I remember one time a few years ago, I met a man built like that gorilla from Monty Python's the Meaning of Life, and he had a stomach like him too," Amanda said.  
  
"Guy who threw up at the restaurant?" Amber asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'll bet you were glad to leave him," Amber said.  
  
"I was, can you imagine trying to date a man like that?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I have a better question, how can you call that thing a man? I mean just because he has a-"  
  
"Amber!" Amanda cut her off, "not in public."  
  
"Tell that to him," Amber replied.  
  
"Who?"   
  
"Him."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Him."  
  
"Amber, who's 'him'?" Amanda asked.  
  
"That guy on the next corner, streaking," Amber said.  
  
Amanda looked through the window and saw the man being chased by 6 police officers.  
  
"This town is strange, maybe we should consider having the wedding somewhere else," Amanda thought.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Amber said, "First you go to Detroit, then Georgia, now we're in Tampa, and it'd be senseless to go somewhere else for a wedding, have it indoors and nothing bad should happen...unless..."  
  
"Unless what?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Has Joe been saying anything insulting about me lately?" Amber asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"In that case, forget it, the roof's gonna fall in," Amber said.  
  
"Amber!" Amanda laughed, "you sure are superstitious."  
  
"Not superstitious, just cautious," Amber replied, "I don't want to be part of this wedding, and have the chandelier drop on Duncan's head when he's about to say I do."  
  
"Come on, we have to find a good bride's maid's dress for you," Amanda said.  
  
"What's the big deal? The bride's the woman in the center of attention, the bride's maid's just there to stand along side and look perty," Amber said, "in any case, I hate dresses and everybody knows it."  
  
"Well one day won't hurt you," Amanda took a dress off the rack and held it up to Amber, "what do you think?"  
  
Amber looked down to see the front of the dress, looked back up at Amanda and said, "wouldn't it be easier to just behead me now?"  
  
"It won't be so bad, you'll see," Amanda said.  
  
"Yeah, that's easy for you to say, you've been wearing these things for a thousand years, I want to be comfortable at the wedding, besides, it's just going to be us, no one special's coming, so why bother getting dressed up?" Amber asked.  
  
"Because you can't wear jeans to a wedding," Amanda said.  
  
"Tell that to Billy Idol, I'm not wearing this garment," Amber said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"She's making me wear this ridiculous dress to the wedding, either though no one's coming," Amber complained.  
  
"At least you didn't end up in the monkey suit a guy wore to his funeral," Richie replied.  
  
"I'd RATHER wear the suit...I know, I'll find a way to get out of wearing this thing," Amber said.  
  
"It zips in the back," Richie told her.  
  
"I mean an excuse not to wear it to the wedding...I know, I'll tell her I'm hemmoraging and can't risk ruining the dress at the last minute," Amber said.  
  
"I thought that's what pads were for," Richie said.  
  
"They are, but even they never fully cover the-"  
  
"I get it," Richie cut her off, "why don't you just explain to her why you don't want to wear the dress?"  
  
"You think I haven't tried that already? She asked for an opinion on this thing, I asked her to behead me," Amber said.  
  
"Amanda's never been one to fight," Richie laughed.  
  
"So how'd she come to be a thousand years old?" Amber asked.  
  
"Long story," Richie replied, "don't ask."  
  
"Richie..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you think you'll ever get married?" Amber asked.  
  
"Na, I don't think so, how bout you?" Richie asked.  
  
"Wouldn't give much for my chances, hardly anyone likes me," Amber replied.  
  
"That I find hard to believe," Richie laughed.  
  
"Why? You live with me, you know what I'm like," Amber said.  
  
"I know, that's why someone would have to be out of their mind not to like you," Richie said.  
  
"Insulting will get ya nowhere," Amber told her, "You know, I've been doing some thinking."  
  
"Me too, I say if we're gonna make it in that crazy college, we're going to have to make obvious one thing that we have," Richie said.  
  
"What's that?" Amber asked.  
  
"No class," Richie said, "you see, they're used to dealing with the high society type of people..."  
  
"The preppies, the jocks, and the sluts," Amber said.  
  
"Yeah, now if they have to put up with us, who don't even come from middle society...they'll have their work cut out for them, they'll be glad to get rid of us."  
  
"They were already glad to get rid of me, I'm hoping Mac can get me into another class, I don't think I'll be able to go through with that Police course for 3 reasons, 1 I hate the police and everybody knows it, 2 I don't take harrassment and intimidation likely and therefore I'm likely to do time for murder, and 3 I really don't give a damn about learning when the police first got started and how they let the crooks off the hook and how they can freely use deadly force on anybody," Amber said.  
  
"Well, maybe Mac can reassign you to a less stressful course," Richie said.  
  
"Stress doesn't bother me, I'm hoping he can get me into a history class instead," Amber said.  
  
"But not World History?" Richie asked.  
  
"Why not? You'd know where to find me," Amber said.  
  
"Yeah, but Mac teaches that course, can you imagine him introducing you to everyone in that.....wait a minute, he hasn't done that already has he?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, he just lets me slip in unannounced, and I stay in the room until the class is over," Amber said.  
  
"Richie! Come down here!" Duncan called.  
  
Richie turned a bit pale with worry as he headed downstairs, "y...Yes Mac?"  
  
"Richie, the Dean was complaining about you today, saying you were 'disrupting the student boy', do you have any idea what he was talking about?" Duncan asked.  
  
"All I did was ask a question, my hands were full so I raised my foot, I don't think that's disrupting the student body," Richie said.  
  
"Frankly, I don't either, I think they're just paranoid," Duncan said.  
  
"I agree," Richie said.  
  
Amber was listening from above, she wanted to see if Richie was being moved to another class as well.  
  
"And Amber," he looked up.  
  
"Yeah Mac?" she asked.  
  
"Tomorrow, get ready to be taking American History," Duncan told her.  
  
Amber's eyes lit up when he said those words, "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yes, I spoke with your professors and they agreed that a 16-year-old should not be in a Police course when she's better than the other students, and she's just going to get harrassed for it," Duncan said.  
  
"Wonderful, now I got a reason to head to class tomorrow," she said.  
  
End of chapter 2 


	3. DDay at the University

D-Day  
  
"Okay Richie, time to get up," Amber shook Richie to get him up.  
  
"Wha time iz it?" Richie mumbled in his sleep.  
  
"7:03," Amber said.  
  
"Goodnight," Richie sunk down in bed.  
  
Amber grabbed Richie by the collar of his shirt, choking him.  
  
"Okay! Okay! You win! I'm up! I'm up!" Richie said, "how long have you been awake?"  
  
"2 hours," Amber said.  
  
"Why can't you wake up cranky like everyone else?" Richie asked.  
  
"Because it's not part of my job description, now, you wanna get up, or should I have Mac come up?" Amber asked.  
  
Richie's eyes flew open when those words went through his ear, "I'm up!"  
  
And he meant it, Richie jumped up for the chandelier and got caught in it.  
  
"That's why I prefer the simple lights," Amber said, "especially if they have a clapper installed."  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Richie jumped down, "Don't you dare start up with that stupid jingle!"  
  
"Boy, you DO wake up cranky," Amber said.  
  
"You slept in the same room as me for the past week, why didn't you notice it then?" Richie asked.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Amber asked, "WE slept in the same room for the past week and you never woke up cranky."  
  
"Maybe that's because then I wasn't a 26-year-old in college," Richie said.  
  
"Quit complaining, besides, you get to use that technique Methos told you about," Amber reminded him.  
  
"Good point," Richie thought.  
  
"Now come on, or else Mac will be coming up," Amber said.  
  
"Why can't Methos do the wakeup calls around here?" Richie asked.  
  
"He would, but do you really want a 5,000 year old man jumping on the bed you're sleeping in?" Amber asked.  
  
"Providing he's not sleeping on the part I'm in, I don't have a problem with it," Richie said.  
  
"Get up!" Amber jerked him out of bed.  
  
"What's your rush? We don't have to get going for half an hour, the college isn't that far away," Richie said.  
  
"I know, but we got rain coming in today, and unless you wanna be swimming to the college in half an hour, you better get up and act alive," Amber warned him.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Come 8:00, Richie and Amber hurried into the college, along with around 200 other students, trying to beat the rain.  
  
"Boy, Mother Nature sure got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Richie shouted over the thunder.  
  
"Yeah, and it sounds like she's got a junebug in her bonnet as well!" Amber added, "Well, at least those stupid officers won't figure I'm all washed up for class today."  
  
"Yeah, and at least I don't have to search this place from top to bottom," Richie said.  
  
So, they headed over to English I again, only to find half the room was staring at them.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Richie asked.  
  
"Mr. Ryan, Professor Brichs informed us of a little quarrel you two had yesterday, involving a very disturbing ending," Mr. Bridges said.  
  
"I flipped a guy off with both fingers, he's trying to tell me no one around here's done it before?" Richie asked.  
  
"What bugs me is he says it's disturbing, I've seen worse happen in colleges than just someone flipping the bird," Amber said.  
  
"What was that, Miss Jenzon?" Mr. Bridges asked.  
  
Amber ignored Mr. Bridges and took out her book and opened it to Chapter 2.  
  
"Miss Jenzon," he repeated.  
  
Amber looked up and looked around the room, "Are you talking to someone?" she asked.  
  
"Miss Jenzon, why aren't you responding?" he asked.  
  
"To what?" Amber asked.  
  
"When I call your name I..."  
  
"You said Miss Jenzon, I thought we went over this yesterday," Amber said.  
  
"Now listen, I-"  
  
"That's right, she did tell you that yesterday," Richie said, "I heard her...who else was present during that confrontation yesterday?"  
  
Several of the students raised their hands in response.  
  
"Mr. Ryan, how I choose to identify the students in this classroom is none of your concern," Mr. Bridges said.  
  
"Well if you're going to be calling me, you better believe it IS my concern," Richie replied.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Mr. MacLeod, do you have a minute?" Mr. Brichs entered the classroom.  
  
"I have several, class just let out, I don't teach World History for a few hours, what's the trouble?" Duncan asked.  
  
"That boy, Richie Ryan..."  
  
"Yes, what is it now?" Duncan asked.  
  
"He returned to my class even worse than yesterday, I told the Dean about him-"  
  
"Yes, and the Dean told me about him, what's the problem?" he asked.  
  
"The problem is I will not repeatedly put up with him making obscene gestures in the classroom, it's just not-"  
  
"Wait a minute, obscene gestures? The Dean told me he just asked a question," Duncan said.  
  
"He did, right before he flipped the classroom off with both hands," Mr. Brichs said, "what do you think of that?"  
  
"Honestly?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is there anyone else in the class who does it?" Duncan asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Is there anyone else in the class who does it?" Duncan repeated.  
  
"A couple, but they stopped, but with him in the classroom, he'll only provoke it to happen more," Mr. Brichs said.  
  
"Well...we're just talking about a couple of college students flipping the bird, it's not like they're threatening to blow up the place or anything," Duncan laughed.  
  
"This is no laughing matter, MacLeod, this is serious," Mr. Brichs said.  
  
"Serious my foot, if you want serious, go to New York," Duncan said.  
  
"What's in New York?" Mr. Brichs asked.  
  
"Over there you can pull off anything and get away with it, even the police know that so they're resigning," Duncan sarcastically explained, "now unless you have something serious for me to deal with...I'm out of here."  
  
"Mr. MacLeod, aren't you aware of how serious this is?" Mr. Brichs asked.  
  
"Oh yes," Duncan said, "I haven't seen matters this serious since Charlie Chaplin played a Jewish barber who had a remarkable resemblance to Adolf Hitler, good day!"  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Well Richie, I'd say today's going rather well, you didn't get sent to see the Dean, the police and paramedics haven't been called, your stomach hasn't been doing jumping jacks, and I'm going to American History today," Amber said.  
  
"Yep, now if only I could find a good time to pull that trick Methos showed me," Richie said.  
  
"Flipping someone off with you toe?" Amber asked.  
  
"That's the one," Richie said.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you'll find the right time and place in Psyche to do it, I gotta get going, later," Amber said.  
  
Amber headed over to the American History room, and felt the presence of another Immortal, she went in and was in shock when she saw who the professor was...Methos!  
  
"M-M-M-M-" she muttered.  
  
"Miss Jenzon," he said, "I see you're transferring over from Contemporary Police Issues, a wise choice, there's no doubt in my mind you'd leave the officers in the dust, however, if that is so, that's a chance that's best not taken here."  
  
"I agree," Amber said.  
  
Amber got some nerve back in her and took her seat.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Mac! I wanna talk to you," Amber stormed into the World History classroom.  
  
"Good, class just let out, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me Methos was teaching American History?" Amber asked.  
  
"Excuse me?" Duncan asked.  
  
"What? Are ya deaf? METHOS IS TEACHING MY HISTORY CLASS!" Amber replied.  
  
"I heard you the first time, I didn't know he was the teacher, otherwise I would've warned you," Duncan told her.  
  
"Mac, this is crazy! I go to my history class, thinking it won't be as crazy as Contemporary Police, and I'm right, it's CRAZIER than Police!" Amber said.  
  
"What's all the ruckus in here?" Richie asked.  
  
"Did you know that Methos is teaching American History?" Amber asked him.  
  
"What?" Richie asked.  
  
"Amber...For some reason I can't figure out, Methos is the new teacher in the American History class," Duncan explained.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Richie laughed.  
  
"No he's not," Methos stepped in.  
  
"Allright wise guy, care to explain?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I told you I have the paperwork to cover everything, that includes a teacher," Methos told him.  
  
"Why American History?" Amber asked.  
  
"World History's already taken, besides, I figured the last thing needed here is another teacher spiting these two dumdums," Methos said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Well you've already spoken with Professor Brichs and the chief of the Tampa police, they're not too fond of those two, so I figured I'd give them a run for their money," Methos explained.  
  
"You mean make it seem like you can deal with us, and the rest of the professors here will look incompotent?" Amber asked.  
  
"Quite."  
  
"I guess when you're 5 millieniums old, you need something to keep your sense of humor going," Amber said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
The next week in college took quite some getting used to, but it worked.  
  
"You know, for a 5,000 year old man, Methos sure doesn't have any memory problems," Amber said.  
  
"What's he say?" Richie asked.  
  
"Well, it's an extra credit thing, he wants everyone in class to write a report on one occurance that is included with the hauntings of Illinois, the most haunted state in the world," Amber said.  
  
"I didn't think they had extra credit in college," Richie said.  
  
"Neither did I," Amber said.  
  
"So what're you going to do?" Richie asked.  
  
"Well I figured, everyone's going to do reports on Resurrection Cemetary, the Flapper Ghost, John Wayne Gacy, The Grimes Sisters murders, and H.H. Holmes, America's first real serial killer...So, since Valentine's Day's coming up," Amber said, "I'm going to do a report on Al Capone, the whole nine yards, the Five Points Gang, the Lexington Hotel, how he got the name Scarface from working in a bar, trying to frame Bugs Moran for the Garage's murders, all up to how the bricks of that garage bring trouble to anyone who holds them in their possession."  
  
"Are you serious?" Richie asked.  
  
"Do you know a better way?" Amber asked.  
  
"No...it just sounds like a lot of research, and a lot of writing," Richie said.  
  
"Well, I know some books on Chicago and Al Capone, the research will be easy," Amber said.  
  
"But the writing will suck," Richie added.  
  
"I'm not doing any writing," Amber said.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I figured, that's exactly what they want you to do...they want you to plan a great report with plenty of details...and spend all day writing it, getting writers' cramps, and not being able to finish it...So after class let out today, I went down to the thrift shop and picked up an electronic typewriter...History's the only class I'm good in, so I might as well show it," Amber said.  
  
"In that case, I'm sleeping downstairs tonight...I know how loud those things get, and if you're putting together all that information about Al Capone, you're gonna be up all night anyway...when's this report due?" Richie asked.  
  
"Friday," Amber said.  
  
"Perfect, you're going to be celebrating Valentine's Day writing about a guy who might have owned Chicago," Richie said.  
  
"He claimed he owned Chicago, and he could have owned it during Prohibition, after all, he was the employer to over a thousand gunmen, and half the police were on his payroll. And he had attorneys, aldermen, mayors, legislators, and congressmen by the dozens, he fixed elections, in my book, the only good thing he had going for him that probably wouldn't have gotten him killed was he was a Republican," Amber said.  
  
"Even that can get you killed Amber," Richie told her, "you know there's 3 things you should never discuss with someone..."  
  
"Race, religion and politics...Why? You a Democrat?" she asked.  
  
"Don't look at me, I don't even know if there's a chance I'm part Scandinavian," Richie replied.  
  
"So, how was Psychology today?" Amber asked.  
  
"Now I know why people are always quoting crazy people," Richie started.  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" Amber asked.  
  
"People are always quoting Sigmund Freud, all this psychological stuff's enough to drive anyone sane crazy," Richie said.  
  
"I guess that's why they made the course, most of the students in college people say are crazy, they probably give them the course to make them normal," Amber replied.  
  
"There's a test coming up next week, I'm hardly even able to figure out what an REM does to effect the brain when someone's sleeping, there's no way I can pull it off," Richie said.  
  
"Well it's only one class, and you're taking 3 other courses," Amber reminded him.  
  
"I don't think it matters, most people who go to college hardly manage to graduate, I don't think I'll be able to get past being a freshman," Richie grabbed his jacket.  
  
"Where're you going?" Amber asked.  
  
"I'm going out to get drunk, stumble into an alley, rip my hair out, and scream like a maniac," Richie said.  
  
"Can I come?" Amber asked.  
  
"No!"  
  
End of chapter 3 


	4. Valentine's Hell

Valentine's Hell  
  
"Hey Amber, could you come down here?" Amanda called.  
  
"Coming, I'm coming, what is it?" Amber asked.  
  
Amanda showed Amber a vase full of black roses.  
  
"These were just delivered for you, and there's a card attached," Amanda told her.  
  
Amber took the card, and couldn't make much sense out of it, it read 'It's good to see you again, hope you have a good day.'  
  
"Any idea who they're from?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Black roses, an unsigned card, 'a good day', could be from anyone, enemy, friend, relative, hell Amanda, it could even be the president of Romulak, I have no idea," Amber said.  
  
"Don't black roses mean someone's died?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Maybe where you come from...I've been around them so long, they're the only flowers I like, so it's obvious they came from someone who knows me," Amber said.  
  
"By the way, how's your report coming?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Not so good, I'm only up to how Capone got the name Scarface," Amber said.  
  
"How did he?" Amanda asked.  
  
"You mean you're a thousand and you don't know?" Amber asked.  
  
"No, humor me," Amanda said.  
  
"Okay, well when he was 18, he was hired to be the bartender by his friend and big time mobster Johnny Torio, the first year, when he was working there, he saw a young couple at a table, he leaned over and said to the woman, and I quote "Honey, you have a nice ass and I mean that as a compliment"," Amber started.  
  
"Of all the nerve," Amanda said.  
  
"I know, anyway, the young man with her was her brother, he jumped to his feet, pulled out a knife and cut Capone's face 3 times!" Amber said.  
  
"How long is this report supposed to be?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Methos says most reports are probably going to be an estimated 10 pages, as much research as I'm going, it's probably going to be 50," Amber told her.  
  
"I would've hated to have known him," Amanda said.  
  
"I asked if Methos knew anything about him personally, he said 'that's one man I never crossed, met, or worked with, and to this day I'm still kicking myself in the ass for it', I could just see him working someone along that line, Al Capone, Johnny Torio, George Moran, or maybe Elliot Ness of State Treasury," Amber said.  
  
"Are you sure you don't have any idea who could've sent the flowers?" Amanda changed the subject.  
  
"I don't CARE about the dumb flowers, as far as I'm concerned, they could be from anyone, even the mafia, I got work to do, I'm out of here!" Amber said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Amanda! Don't make any plans for Valentine's Day," Duncan came storming in.  
  
"Why?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I've got us 2 tickets for a trip to Rome for the weekend," Duncan said.  
  
"Duncan, are you crazy? We can't take off for Rome like this with the wedding the next week," Amanda said.  
  
"Amanda, it's just going to be a simple ceremony, and everyone's right here, besides, we're just going away for a weekend, what could possibly happen in that short amount of time?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Hopefully a lot...okay, we'll go.....wait a minute, what about Amber and Richie?" Amanda asked.  
  
"What about them?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Duncan! If we leave those two here alone for the weeken...oh that's right, Methos will be here," Amanda remembered.  
  
"THAT'S supposed to be the good news?" Duncan laughed, "The good part is Joe will be here, and if we need reinforecments, I can call in Connor."  
  
"Connor? How fast can he get here?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Well he's right over in Fort Lauderdale, he can be here in a few hours if we need him," Duncan said.  
  
"True, but odds are we won't need him, right?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I wouldn't put it past them, we may be dealing with 1.2 teenagers and a 5,000 year old man, but they can still cause trouble when the time is right for them," Duncan told her.  
  
"Well, we won't be leaving until the weekend so that should give us a head start on knowing what to expect," Amanda said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Hey Amber, how's that report coming?" Richie asked.  
  
"Terrible!" Amber said, "Listen to what I've gotten so far..."  
  
Amber ripped off a sheet of paper and picked up the stack of what she had typed recently, "The life of Al Capone was notorious, deadly, bloody, but the person behind the crimes didn't get to enjoy his legacy in life for even half a century. On January 17th, 1899, Alphonse Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York. From the start, some people had their doubts any good would come from him, as it seems the criminal life had been set up for him from the start, being a close friend of Johnny Torio and Charles "Lucky" Luciano, members of juvenile street gangs, which was where Capone became educated after quitting the 6th Grade. Al Capone would learn the life and ways of the street, and become member and leader of many street gangs, which would add to the snowball effect that made the criminal way that was his life.   
  
"When he was in his late teens, he left Brooklyn for Manhattan, and the Five Points Gang, which he became a member of, while working for the leader, Frankie Yale. At the same time, Torio had found Capone a job as a bartender and bouncer in a brothel nearby. This would be where his Christening as "Scarface" would take place, after insulting the sister of Frank Gallucio, who gladly repaid the favor with a knife, which would result in 3 cuts to the face, ending in horrifying scarring. Oddly enough, Capone never sought revenge on Gallucio for the incident. Surprisingly enough, when Capone's insults caused an uproar, Gallucio went to Luciano with his grievance, and Luciano went to Frankie Yale. Yale called a meeting with Capone, Gallucio and Luciano, and Capone was forced to apologize.  
  
"In 1920, Capone left New York completely for Chicago where he and his friend Torio would work in a gambling and brothel business run by another large time mobster and Torio's uncle, "Big Jim" Colosimo. The same year, Torio would take over the business when Colosimo was found dead on May 11th, the chef and secretary gave the police a description of the murdering, linking to Frankie Yale. Capone and Torio continued the business for years, now with Prohibition cutting into the sales of liquor, the bootlegging industry went into effect, Capone and Torio provided ways for criminal families to make money. They worked together to wipe out all opposition in the city, including the 1924 assassination of Dion O' Banion, the head of the Irish north side mob. This resulted in an all-out war in Chicago, nearly killing Torio, in 1925, he resigned, gave the business to Capone, and returned to New York.  
  
"That's all I got right now, Richie, and I've been doing so much research, my brain is about fried," Amber said.  
  
"Sounds like you've been really working at it," Richie said, "I'm impressed."  
  
"Huh?" Amber asked, "Richie, I estimated this report to be about 50 pages long, I'll be lucky if it even SEES 10."  
  
"True, but at least you're still working on it...knowing the way those screwballs at the college are, they probably haven't even gotten started on their reports yet," Richie said.  
  
"Yeah, but this report sure ain't gonna look so hot if I turn it in, details and all, and it's not even a 10th as thick as a phonebook," Amber told him.  
  
"It sounds to me like you're close to burnout," Richie said, "Might I make a suggestion?"  
  
"You may," Amber replied.  
  
"Get out of the house for a couple hours, have a good time, loosen up your brain, then come back and get started again," Richie said, "how far along are you in it?"   
  
"I'm up to 1925, the Massacre took place in 1929, and his life came to an end in 1948...So I-"  
  
"So you're around half-way through his time-line," Richie said.  
  
"That getting over the hump thing doesn't work for me," Amber told him.  
  
"You know what you should do?" Richie asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What you should do is next time you have an assignment like this, write one on all the criminals in cahoots with Al Capone...Johnn Torio, Jack Diamond, "Big Jim" Colosimo," Richie went into details.  
  
"Bugs Moran, Lucky Luciano, Frankie Yale, the real whole nine yards, huh?" Amber asked, "Well maybe one of these days when I have a hundred years on my hands, I'll do a book on them, and leave no stone unturned...articles, interviews, biographies, everything...You know, it's too bad they tore down the Lexington Hotel, ' could go there and see what made it such a big deal that it was...stairways behind the medicine chest, tunnels leading to red light districts, 10 stories tall, torn down November 1995."  
  
"Sounds like you've got the research to cover it all," Richie said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Allright Duncan, let's get going, the plane leaves in about an hour," Amanda said.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming, now remember Richie, when we come back, we expect to see this house in one piece, that means no friends coming over, no loud riots, no drugs, and no setting fire to anything while we're gone, got it?"  
  
Duncan was in such a rush, he was out the door and halfway to the car before Richie even responded.  
  
"Who do they think they're leaving here? Dennis the Menace?" Richie asked.  
  
"HEY RICHIE!" Amber came running up with a pen and a pad of paper.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
"I'm in a hurry, can you take a letter?" Amber asked.  
  
"Where to?" Richie asked.  
  
"No no no! Can you write a letter?" Amber asked.  
  
"Why can't you do it?" Richie asked.  
  
"Can you or can't you?" Amber asked.  
  
"Yes, why?" Richie asked.  
  
"Take one down...Dear Mr. Pendelsmithe," Amber started.  
  
"Who's Mr. Pendelsmithe?" Richie asked.  
  
"He could be Beldar Conehead's second cousin for all I know, that's not the point, take the letter! Dear Mr. Pendelsmithe, I'm sorry to say that I will be delayed reaching you by about 2 weeks due to some confidential work. Therefore, my secretary has taken the liberty of sending you this note, have a good day," Amber said.  
  
"What confidential work?" Richie asked.  
  
"I don't know, Joe's having you take this letter, not me," Amber said.  
  
Amber picked up the letter and ran back upstairs with it.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"So Amber, how's the report going?" Richie asked.  
  
"Why the roses?" Amber turned around.  
  
"What?" Richie asked.  
  
"Why'd you send the roses?" Amber asked.  
  
"I don't-"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about Richie, when I had you take that letter, what did I tell you to say in the end?" Amber asked.  
  
"Have a good day," Richie realized.  
  
"Exactly what you put on the card, so why?" Amber asked.  
  
"I just figured maybe your brain wouldn't burn out on this report if you spent part of the time wondering who'd think enough of you to make a gesture like it," Richie said.  
  
"Well thanks anyway...but I'm going to have to go back and redo this report, I just found out some additional stuff to when Al Capone was little," Amber said.  
  
"What? Did he run around in a pin-striped diaper and smoke an exploding cigar?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, listen to this, 'At home, his life was always a slice of heaven. His father, a barber from Italy never hit any of his nine children, a rarity in those days. His mother was a sweet and doting woman, determined to raise her boys into positions of upstanding citizenship', can you believe it? A pop who's got the explosive blood of Sophia Petrillo, doesn't even lay a hand on his kids, having nine of them, most if not all probably before the turn of the Century, couldn't have been easy. Things weren't simple back then," Amber said.  
  
"No kidding," Richie replied, "I've listened to 3 people who should be dead by now, talking about the old days, talking about the Civil War, and when the Pilgrims came to Plymuth Rock in 1620, and how Adolf Hitler should've died when a bomb went off...it's like living with a set of live history books."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Duncan and Amanda had landed and they were staying in a hotel for their trip, and they were currently in their room.  
  
"You have to admit," Amanda said, "it's nice to just get away, and not have to worry about everything, not having to bring up things that are better off dead, don't you ever get tired about thinking of the old days?"  
  
"All the time," Duncan replied, "I don't know if it's what we went through during those times that makes us stop talking about them, or the fact that it lives with us forever...I mean, the actual experience itself is always bad, but putting up with it for eternity...it drives me batty."  
  
"Which is why I was glad we could get away for the weekend, Valentine's Day is very romantic, but someone always brings up the murders," Amanda said.  
  
"And I'll take it Amber's report doesn't help any either, huh?" Duncan laughed.  
  
"I just can't figure out why she wants to write about something so bloody, at the hands of one of the most brutal criminals of that era," Amanda said.  
  
"Maybe if you knew him personally, you woudln't find him so bloody," Duncan laughed.  
  
"I didn't say he was bloody, I said the murders were bloody," Amanda said, "besides, how would we meet? A red light district? Besides, there are some people you plan to meet in your lifetime, he was not one of them...what about you? I don't think you ever got around to explaining who all you met in your times."  
  
"I thought we came on vacation to get away from everything we put up with at home," Duncan said.  
  
"We did, but face facts, even when you get away from everything, it still manages to find you," Amanda told him.  
  
"I guess so, but since we're here for the weekend, we might as well enjoy it," Duncan said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"I guess we might as well enjoy the fact that Mac and Amanda are gone for the weekend, maybe now we can get some rest without them going down our backs at every given chance," Amber said.  
  
"Well you can't blame them, that wedding's coming up next week and they're really getting excited about it," Richie said.  
  
"I've seen excited, those two are complete wrecks," Amber replied.  
  
"So how's that report coming?" Richie asked.  
  
"I about got it done, I think it'll really be something to see," Amber said, "which reminds me, I better go finish it before I forget."  
  
"Don't forget that we've got plans later," Richie said.  
  
"How could I? I made the plans, first dinner, then a movie, then a night of chaos on the town," Amber said as she headed upstairs.  
  
"Yep, and after the movie, it'll be a wonder if I can keep dinner down," Richie laughed.  
  
End of chapter 4 


	5. Valentine's Hell Pt 2

Valentine's Hell Pt 2  
  
Disclaimer: The information on Al Capone in this story was gathered from random websites and links, in short, don't own, don't sue.  
  
"I can't believe that Mac and Amanda are away in Rome, and we're stuck here with them!" Joe said.  
  
"I'll take it that's not exactly how you planned on celebrating Valentine's Day, huh?" Methos laughed.  
  
"Not in the least...then again I had no plans for today, having those two around...and you, only makes it worse," Joe said.  
  
"Well, look on the bright side," Mehtos said.  
  
"What bright side?" Joe asked.  
  
"You could always get drunk, pass out and forget everything," Methos suggested.  
  
"A tempting offer, but I know you too well to know what you could've done with the liquor around here," Joe said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Come on Richie, let's get going," Amber said.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming, Richie slipped down the banister, "what I don't get is why you insisted we take a shortcut through the college..."  
  
"Oh, well they're having night classes there, so it's bound to be populated, so come on," Amber said.  
  
"Allright, but I've got a feeling that I'm going to regret this," Richie replied.  
  
"Quit complaining and come on, this could be a night to remember," Amber said.  
  
"I have to live with myself, so I'm going to remember this," Richie said.  
  
"Come on, let's get going before class let's out, I'm going to get a kick out of scaring the hell out of everyone there," Amber told him.  
  
They headed over to the university and slipped in, and got caught in the middle of a crowd, once they found their way out of there, the trouble began.  
  
"Richie...Richie, what happened?" Amber asked.  
  
"You got stepped on by half the class, that's what happened," Richie said.  
  
"That's not it, it's my stomach, and my head, and...who turned up the air conditioning?" Amber asked.  
  
"What are you talking about? It's broiling in here," Richie told her.  
  
"That can't be...I'm freezing," Amber replied.  
  
Up came Professor Jean Webster, she taught one of the Algebra courses nearby and noticed them.  
  
"What seems to be the problem?" she asked.  
  
"Lady, I got stomach cramps bad and I'm freezing, can you get a doctor over here?" Amber asked in between gags.  
  
"Is she your girlfriend?" she asked Richie.  
  
"Yes she is, can you get a doctor over here?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I'll see how soon I can get one over here, just stay where you are, and try to keep her calm," Professor Webster said.  
  
"Where 'm I going?" Amber asked, "Come half an hour, I could be a worm feast."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Come half an hour later, Amber was a sight to scare anybody, even the doctor couldn't believe what her condition was, after a brief exam, she seemed concerned.  
  
"Well doctor, what is it?" Richie asked.  
  
"I can't be sure, I've never seen anyone like her before, goodness knows I've seen some sick patients, but she's beyond anything I ever studied...she's extremely pale, she practically has no pulse, she has no heart rate, and I took her temperature, and..."  
  
"And what?" Richie asked.  
  
"70 degrees."  
  
"What's that?" Professor Webster asked.  
  
"Room temperature...meaning only one thing I can think of," the doctor said.  
  
"What's that?" Richie asked.  
  
They heard a clunk, Amber's body was laid out on the couch.  
  
"Your friend is dead, Mister Ryan," she said.  
  
"Dead?" Richie asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so..."  
  
However, they all turned around in horror when they heard her moaning, she opened her eyes, looked up and said, "now I know...there is only one thing that can stop this eternal paaaiiinnn..... and that is....liive BRAINS!"  
  
Everyone screamed and ran when Amber jumped up on the couch screaming and foaming at the mouth. She turned and noticed Rick Mahoney, the same boy who'd been snapping her bra the other week, she went after him and chased him out of the building and into the street, he bashed into a bunch of trashcans and fell on the ground as Amber followed him, screaming for his brains.  
  
"What in the hell is this?" he asked himself.  
  
Amber now hovered over him, "Now I'll have your BRAINS!"  
  
Rick screamed and covered his head, Amber started laughing and was accompanied by Richie who was right behind her.  
  
"What the?" Rick asked.  
  
"You really thought I was a zombie? Dumb boy, that'll teach you to snap my bra in class, now get out of here!" Amber told him.  
  
Rick jumped to his feet and ran, Amber and Richie fell in the street laughing.  
  
"That was great!" Amber laughed.  
  
"Amber, you are a real piece of work," Richie said.  
  
"I know, now come on, we've still got 3 more places to terrorize before the night's over, come on!" Amber got up.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Next stop was the bowling alley, before they headed in there, Amber had jumped into a pair of roller skates, and went through the glass door on her way in. Apparently the guy who ran the place knew her.  
  
"Oh no, not you, that does it, I'm calling the police!" he said.  
  
"I am the police sweetie!" Amber tugged on her shirt and showed him a badge, "Amber Jenzon, FBI."  
  
"And you?" he turned to Richie.  
  
"Richie Ryan, COD," he replied.  
  
It was then that they revealed that Richie was in handcuffs, cuffed to Amber's wrist.  
  
"I'm sorry son, I hate to see a man in handcuffs," he said.  
  
"That's allright," Richie replied.  
  
Richie and Amber broke the cuffs and Amber went skating down a bowling lane, making a perfect strike, head first!  
  
"That girl is crazy!" a nearby bowler said.  
  
"You got that right, and I love her for it!" Richie said.  
  
Amber took her mouth off a bowling ball getting lifted out of the gutter and headed back up the lane. She jumped up, skid across a row of seats and smashed through the other glass door on her way out.  
  
"Hey Amber!" Richie came rushing out the door, "are you okay?"  
  
"So what if I'm not? What's going to happen?" Amber laughed, "come on, let's get out of here."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Come 11:50, they got back to the house, and went up to their room and were in for a surprise.  
  
"Methos!" Amber said in shock, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Just going over the report for Friday," he replied, his eyes not focusing on anything but the report.  
  
"Why are you doing that?" Amber asked.  
  
"Just making sure it's a good report," he said.  
  
"Methos, you can't do that, that's favoritism!" Richie explained.  
  
"So what's wrong if I favor someone in the class who I'm not even related to? Huh? In any case, the only thing that I changed was where you said Johnny Torio was the nephew of Jim Colosimo, with that, my work here is done so...goodnight," Methos got off the bed and left the room.  
  
"I didn't think he'd find it that interesting," Amber said, "for a 5,000 year old man, nothing surprises him."  
  
"Well, can I see the report?" Richie asked.  
  
"I guess if you want," Amber said.  
  
Richie took the report and read it:  
  
The life of Al Capone was notorious, deadly, bloody, but the person behind the crimes didn't get to enjoy his legacy in life for even half a century. On January 17th, 1899, Alphonse Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York. From the start, it seemed that there were different plans set for him. A mystery of Capone's life is what drove him to be so violent and brutal, coming from a rare family, he was born 1 out of 9 children, none of which his father raised a hand to. Nevertheless it seems the criminal life had been set up for him from the start, Brooklyn being a city full of street gangs, and Capone being a close friend of Johnny Torio and Charles "Lucky" Luciano, members of juvenile street gangs, which was where Capone became educated after quitting the 6th Grade. Al Capone would learn the life and ways of the street, and become member and leader of many street gangs, which would add to the snowball effect that made the criminal way that was his life.   
  
When he was in his late teens, he left Brooklyn for Manhattan, and the Five Points Gang, which he became a member of, while working for the leader, Frankie Yale. At the same time, Torio had found Capone a job as a bartender and bouncer in a brothel nearby. This would be where his Christening as "Scarface" would take place, after insulting the sister of Frank Gallucio, who gladly repaid the favor with a knife, which would result in 3 cuts to the face, ending in horrifying scarring. Oddly enough, Capone never sought revenge on Gallucio for the incident. Surprisingly enough, when Capone's insults caused an uproar, Gallucio went to Luciano with his grievance, and Luciano went to Frankie Yale. Yale called a meeting with Capone, Gallucio and Luciano, and Capone was forced to apologize.  
  
In 1920, Capone left New York completely for Chicago where he and his friend Torio would work in a gambling and brothel business run by another large time mobster, "Big Jim" Colosimo. They were notorious for handling liquor during the time of Prohibiton, where Capone stated: "Prohibiton is a business. All I do is supply a public demand. I do it in the best and least harmful way I can". The same year, Torio would take over the business when Colosimo was found dead on May 11th, the chef and secretary gave the police a description of the murdering, linking to Frankie Yale. Capone and Torio continued the business for years, now with Prohibition cutting into the sales of liquor, the bootlegging industry went into effect, Capone and Torio provided ways for criminal families to make money. They worked together to wipe out all opposition in the city, including the 1924 assassination of Dion O' Banion, the head of the Irish north side mob. This resulted in an all-out war in Chicago, nearly killing Torio, in 1925, he resigned, gave the business to Capone, and returned to New York.  
  
Now, Capone was the biggest crime boss in the Chicago, controlling a crime empire worth $30,000,000, his business was to limit the mob's activities, rendering him one of the few sources able to give the public what they wanted, including gambling, alcohol and prostitution. Many people loved Capone by the mid to late 1920s, becoming a Chicago celebrity and would even be cheered when he went to ball games. Of course, also by this time, Capone had his fair amount of enemies, in September 1926, the O'Banion's sent an entire convoy of cars loaded with machine-gunner's past Capone's Lexington Hotel headquarters. They poured over 1000 rounds of hot lead into the building but Capone escaped injury. However, Capone would never hide for long, he gunned down his rivals and competitors in the bootlegging operation, which would lead to the most famous incident involving Al Capone.  
  
February 14th, 1929, Al Capone ordered the killing of a fellow bootlegger Geroge "Bugs" Moran, it was planned out how and where Moran would die, but the attempt failed. Around 11 o' clock that day, 7 of Moran's men were already in the S-M-C Cartage company garage, 5 of Capone's men, 2 dressed as officers, the other 3 dressed as normal civilians went in with sawed off shotguns and Thompson submachine guns tucked in their coats. Moran was running late getting to the garage and was nearby when the murders took place, the men were backed against the wall and sprayed with machine guns. When Moran arrived at the sight, he was in such horror, the only words that could leave his mouth were 'Capone...it's Capone'. Moran said 'only Capone kills men like that', but Al Capone was was in Florida at the time, and when word of the Massacres came out, Capone said 'only Moran kills like that'. Capone was not tried due to little evidence of his involvement. By removing his enemies, rivals and competitors, Capone expanded the business of horse and race tracks, breweries, distelleries and night clubs, it was estimated that Capone's wealth was $100,000,000. It was during this time that Eliot Ness came to Chicago. This was becoming the beginning of the end for Al Capone.  
  
Murder and Prohibition laws weren't what got Capone sent to prison, but tax evasion was. In 1931, Capone was indicted for tax evasion, and after attempting to bribe the jury, the judge sentenced Capone to 11 years in prison, in addition to paying various fines. Capone was sent to the Federal Prison in Atlanta, but in 1934, he was moved to the most brutal prison in America, Alcatraz, being the bitter end to his long-time criminal career. Capone was sent to Alcatraz during the beginning of the 'silent years' where prisoners were only able to speak for 3 minutes each day. Capone spent 3 stretches in the hole during his years in prison, 2 of which for not abiding the 'silent rules', neglecting to think they applied to him as well. While in Alcatraz, Capone joined the 4-man prison band, instruments being allowed to the inmates, his wife Mae sent him a banjo, which he played while the other inmates were outside. After five years, the attempts on his life, a stabbing, beatings and the hole broke Capone, his mind snapped, he refused to leave his cell, he mumbled to himself in baby-talk, and at times remade his bunk over and over again.  
  
His last portion of the prison term was spent in the hospital ward, he was being treated for an advanced form of syphilis, and finally, he left Alcatraz in 1939. Jake Guzik, who was running the mob during Capone's absence, was once asked if Capone would take over control again after his release. Guzik explained, "Al is nuttier than a fruitcake." After paying his fines and being released from prison, Capone moved to Florida with his wife Mae and his son Sonny, as his life continued, Capone spent the following 8 years wavering between lucidity and psychosis. Some believe it was Capone's early senility, others say he was forever hauted by the ghost of James Clark, Moran's brother-in-law who perished during the Massacre of 1929. However, this was before his mental demise, Capone's employees remembered Capone begging the ghost to leave him be, this was before Alcatraz. Eventually, Capone's condition continued to weaken from the syphilis, and finally died from cardiac arrest on January 25th, 1947.  
  
After reading the report, Richie said nothing, he just sat on the bed with his mouth slightly open.  
  
"Well?" Amber asked, "What is it?"  
  
"Uh...nothing, nothing, it's----it's great, I bet you get a top grade on it," Richie said.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?" Amber asked.  
  
"I'm just shocked Amber, that was a lot of research required for the report, and...it was great, I knew you'd do a great report, but I didn't think it would have as much detail to it as it does," Richie said.  
  
Richie got up, headed into the bathroom and removed his jacket and his T-shirt, which looked like it had been torn to scrap.  
  
"Did you mean it?" Amber asked.  
  
"Huh?" Richie asked.  
  
"At the bowling alley, when that guy said I was crazy, and you said you love me for it?" Amber asked.  
  
"In a way, yes," Richie came back into the bedroom.  
  
"Allright Freud, in what way?" Amber asked.  
  
"Well, you know, it's nice to be with someone who's spontaneous, active...maybe a little crazy," Richie said.  
  
"Crazy enough to have you follow me through a junkyard, down a dark alley that must've gone on for a mile, and through a bunch of garbage cans and a thorn bush, only to run into the police who we knocked out on our way back here...during that time, your clothes got ripped to shreds," Amber said.  
  
"Well, if you're going to live forever," Richie said, "you might as well do something crazy, unpredictable, or I'd even go as far to say stupid, once in a while, otherwise the next few hundred years aren't going to have much to enjoy."  
  
"What do you consider unpredictable?" Amber asked.  
  
Richie dropped on the bed and on top of Amber, "what do you think?"  
  
Amber wrapped her arms around Richie, paralyzing his and kissed him passionately for a while, finally she stopped because they had to breathe.  
  
"Well?" Amber grinned.  
  
"Well that's sure what I'd call unpredictable," Richie said as he sat up, "where'd you learn to kiss like that?"  
  
"I'm au' natural," Amber said.  
  
"I don't suppose you walk around 'all natural' too do you?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, au' natural is something we use back home meaning it's not learned, it's just natural," Amber told him.  
  
"Like your wrestling techniques huh?" Richie asked.  
  
"Yeah, and I tend to mix them gradually, like right now," Amber said.  
  
Amber put her arms around Richie and squeezed, he yelled in pain as they both fell on the floor.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Friday came, and Amber was in Methos' History class, within a few seconds, class let out and she ran into Richie.  
  
"So what happened?" Richie asked.  
  
"Well, there were 100 points at stake, and...I got it!" Amber said.  
  
"See, what'd I tell you?" Richie said.  
  
"Richie, there's something I don't get, if Mac arranged for this whole trip for the weekend, why'd they leave early?" Amber asked.  
  
"There was an error on what date the plane left, so they had to leave early, but they'll be back on Monday," Richie said, "I bet they're having a blast in Rome."  
  
"I bet you $50 that they hardly leave their hotel room, I hear love after 40 is better...but I didn't know the same applied to 400."  
  
"Well at least they're happy with each other," Richie said.  
  
"True...who knows...maybe some day it'll be us getting married," Amber laughed.  
  
"That's a laugh, me getting married," Richie said.  
  
But Richie had a feeling that Amber wasn't really joking... 


End file.
